


Stomp Our Feet And The Ground Will Shake

by goneforbooks



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Canon Compliant, Constructive Criticism Welcome, Eventual Sirius Black/Remus Lupin, Gen, How Do I Tag, Lack of Dialogue, Mainly focuses on friendship, Marauders Era (Harry Potter), Marauders Friendship (Harry Potter), My first fic, Please Don't Hate Me, Sirius Black & James Potter Friendship, Sirius Black-centric, will make it up in the next chapters
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-15
Updated: 2020-05-17
Packaged: 2021-03-02 18:53:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,046
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24201631
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/goneforbooks/pseuds/goneforbooks
Summary: Marauders through the years from Sirius Black's eyes.*Will eventually be AU*
Relationships: Minor or Background Relationship(s), Sirius Black & James Potter, Sirius Black & Remus Lupin, Sirius Black & Remus Lupin & Peter Pettigrew & James Potter
Comments: 4
Kudos: 5





	1. 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fic guys so please be kind. There might be grammatical errors, i didn't have time to proofread it so if you see any let me know, i will fix it.

Sirius always though that despite his parents’ inherent detachment and cruelty, they would, in the very least, give him a proper send-off when he boarded the Hogwarts Express on September 1st at the age of 11. 

He was wrong.

From the moment they arrived at the station, Walburga and Orion Black of the Most Ancient and Noble House of Black treated him like he was someone in their service rather than their son. It didn’t bother him, honestly, because as unfortunate as it was, this aloofness was what he was used to. He was the Heir to the House of Black and he was supposed to act like that. However, as he was kissing his mother’s hand to bid a final adieu, his eyes fell upon a boy his age with messy black hair being smothered by a couple- his parents if the resemblance was anything to go by- who was smiling at him and for the first time since he was a child, he ached for the love, affection, and warmth that came from a loving family.

He tore his eyes away from the happy family, from the parents who would actually miss their son when he left them for nearly a year. Sirius looked at his parents, tuned their words of blood-purity and Slytherin and acceptable acquaintances out, and thought that maybe he could make his own family instead. 

***

Finding an empty carriage wasn’t difficult especially since he boarded the train earlier than a lot of students. Those students had someone they didn’t want to leave, or someone that would miss them when they left, Sirius had no one like that. On the station, he saw siblings, cousins, and family and ached for that warmth only to be reminded that he didn’t need it with one look from his parents. He also wanted to say goodbye to his younger brother, Regulus, but Sirius wasn’t allowed to see him outside of events and training, least he develops the same mentality as his older brother; The mentality and opinions that have on various occasions resulted in scars and pain. 

“Hello, I was wondering if I could sit here?” the shaky voice of a girl made Sirius look away from the window. She had red hair, very bright red hair that almost looked like fire and green bloodshot eyes as if she had recently cried. ‘Must have gotten emotional while saying goodbye,’ he thought and nodded at her in reply to her question. It wasn’t as if Sirius was expecting company. 

“I am Lily Evans,” the girl said as an afterthought while sitting down opposite to him. 

“Sirius,” he replied curtly and looked out the window again. He would have been more polite had Evans looked less devastated, it was obvious to Sirius that she wasn’t in the mood for any conversation. 

A little while after that, a final call to board rang in the air and the already noisy stations exploded with goodbyes and laughter as students made their way inside. There were many emotions floating and one could feel them; love, excitement, anxiety, and happiness the most prominent out of them all. 

***

The train had been moving for all of two minutes when a loud voice broke the silence between the two passengers. It was the boy from the station with messy black hair and when Sirius looked at him this time, he saw happiness and mischief and felt something that he couldn’t quite describe. 

“Mind if I join you?” he asked with a gesture to their carriage before adding, “Everywhere else is full.” 

When Sirius nodded at him, he looked at the girl, asking for her permission too, which she hastily gave. For some reason, despite not knowing the boy at all, Sirius knew he wanted him in this carriage. Sirius would have probably insisted that he sat with them even if Evans had said no. 

“I’m James Potter, First Year,” he said after he sat down and looked at the two expectantly. 

“Lily Evans, First Year,” the girl replied and nodded at him before looking out the window again. 

“Sirius,” he replied, not wanting to give his last name because he knew he would be judged. Evans was a Muggle-born and she probably didn’t know about the name Black but Potter was a strong and famous Pure-blood family going back several generations and so James would most definitely recognize Sirius’ last name. 

Sirius, very selfishly, did not want to lose his one and probably only chance at friendship before it even began. Thankfully, James did not ask for his last name, just nodded, smiled, and started a conversation about Hogwarts. 

As James talked and laughed at a joke Sirius had made about Quidditch, Sirius thought that he had never seen anyone laugh that freely, or smile that brightly, and he most assuredly wanted to hear it again. 

With a smile directed at James, Sirius leaned back and listened to the other telling stories about the pranks he has pulled at his tutors, the books he has read, and everything in between, occasionally sharing his stories and opinions. James was so easy to talk too, he knew what he was saying and made a point to include Evans into their conversations until he was sure she didn’t want to join. He listened patiently and attentively whenever Sirius spoke, changed the topic completely if he thought that the other was getting uncomfortable. He was charming and real in a way that was refreshing. 

This is why, Sirius didn’t bother when another stranger came in and sat down without asking for permission, and started talking to Evans. Looking at the two of them it was obvious that they were friends, good ones too, but Sirius was focused on James to even pay them proper attention. 

He liked having such positive attention on him, Sirius found out. He liked knowing that he made someone laugh, made someone happy. More importantly, he liked James's attention to him. Sirius had already decided that he would do anything to make sure that James always had that bright, supernova smile but he just hoped that his blood didn’t take this one good thing away from him. So when James gave his attention to the third boy in the carriage, Sirius didn’t like it, especially since he felt uncomfortable around him. 

However, Sirius disliked him, even more, when that boy tried to insult James.  
Which is probably why he acted the way he did. Sirius was an Heir, he wasn’t allowed to talk like that, yet the laughter following his comment to the boy made it worth it. And when the two friends left the carriage, Sirius did not feel bad because now he would have the undivided attention of one James Potter. 

***

Sirius had joked about breaking tradition to James because he did not want to go to Slytherin but he never in a million years would have thought, that he would be worthy of Gryffindor. He knew, without a doubt, that James would go to the house of the brave. He also knew that he wouldn’t be able to follow him because his path was decided for him. But when his name was called for, he had hoped that he wouldn’t lose that one friendship, wouldn’t have to give someone like James up. 

Apparently, the Hat picked up on it, because after much deliberation between Ravenclaw and Gryffindor and what felt like forever sitting at that chair, the Hat called “GRYFFINDOR,” and the entire Hall fell silent. He was terrified and hopeful and his eyes immediately found James’ who lit up with a smile bright enough to rival the sun and started cheering. 

Following him, his older cousin, Andromeda, who sat at the Slytherin table started cheering and clapping and then little by little, so did the Gryffindor table. By the time he had started walking towards his House, after being nudged by the Deputy Headmistress McGonagall, the entire table was clapping. He was greeted with smiles and pats on the back, some hesitant and unsure, some warm and welcoming. Sirius gave them all a little smile in return and sat at the end of the table, the redheaded girl from the train beside him.  
The ceremony drew on, with a couple more boys and girls being sorted into Gryffindor. One of them was Remus Lupin and he felt the same connection to him that he felt with James, just on a lighter scale. Remus was smart. It was obvious, but he was also a little timid, it wasn’t extremely obvious when he spoke but when he walked, he hunched in on himself, as if trying to make himself smaller and less noticeable. 

When James was called up, Sirius stopped paying attention to the rest of the conversation, he knew, that James would be sorted into Slytherin, but when the Hat didn’t immediately call it out, he got nervous. James was his first friend, he didn’t know what he would do if James wasn’t beside him. 

He didn’t realize he was holding his breath until Gryffindor was called out and he let out a huge breath of relief. Hope flooding his body when James locked eyes with him and Sirius started cheering with the rest. He had a smile on his face and his cheeks were starting to hurt from smiling this much, but Sirius couldn’t stop.  
James handed the Hat back to McGonagall and made his way towards Sirius. After introducing himself to the other boys, he turned towards Sirius and said, “So, you broke tradition.”

“I did,” Sirius replied even though it wasn’t a question. 

“Why didn’t you tell me that you are a Black?” James questioned, curiosity lacing his voice, across from them Remus slightly choked on his drink. He turned towards the two boys with wide disbelieving eyes. 

“You’re a Black?” 

“I am, and I didn’t tell you because I thought you wouldn’t have initiated a conversation with me if you knew,” Sirius answered them both, looking in their eyes as he spoke and prayed that they would see his defiance. 

Beside him, James gave him a thoughtful glance before smiling, “Well, you did break tradition.” He said with finality, ending that topic and diverting it with another question, “So, who else was sorted into our house?”

“Three girls, Marlows, McKinnon, Evans and us three boys and one more whom I lost sight of during your Sorting,” Sirius answered his question. 

“Is Evans the same redhead from the train?” James inquired. He had a soft look in his eyes when Sirius answered as if he couldn’t believe that Sirius paid attention. 

“Yes, she is. I am sure her friend is heartbroken that she was sorted here, seeing how insistent he was about Slytherin,” he took a pause as James laughed at his statement and continued, “Speaking of that, the Hat took a long time with you. Did it consider you for another house?” he hoped that James wasn’t considered for Slytherin. 

With a chuckle, James replied, “Yes, actually. It said that I would also fit in very well with Ravenclaw but I undoubtedly belonged in Gryffindor. Yours took a lot of time as well, were you considered for Slytherin?”

“Can I just point out how ironic that is considering the statement Snape made on the train?” the two of them chuckled at that. Sirius was going to continue when Remus cut in after listening to them.

“Did you have an encounter with Lily?” his eyes were brimming with curiosity. 

Sirius studied the two of them as James recollected their unpleasant introduction to Evans and her slimy friend. He knew that James wasn’t as comfortable with Remus as Sirius was, but he also saw that he was making an effort to befriend him for Sirius’ sake. As the two conversed, the topics kept on changing and the around them became comfortable.  
Despite looking timid, Remus was just as mischievous as the other two and had a sweet tooth, if the amount of chocolate he was consuming was anything to go by. The three of them conversed freely as the feast continued. Teasing and learning about each other as they ate, laughing when the ghosts came out and startled some unsuspecting students. They agreed on various subjects, shared a lot of interests, and were ready to experience Hogwarts. One thing they all agreed on was befriending the ghosts. 

Remus had off-handedly commented about the knowledge they might possess, and how despite being ghosts, they were powerful witches and wizards at one time, this leads to James wondering if they would mind sharing their knowledge with a bunch of first years because surely the older students would have already asked them to do so.  
One glance at the older students dismissing the ghosts proved otherwise.  
The shared looks of horror among the three caused instant laughter as their concentration broke.  
And there, sat in the middle of laughter and warmth, Sirius thought that whatever his parents threw at him now wouldn’t matter at all, because now, he had what he didn’t before; hope.

***

When they reached their dormitories, Sirius thought that he would fall asleep as soon as he lay on the bed. Sadly, that wasn’t the case. There were four beds in their dorm, the fourth member named Peter Pettigrew, who was with his cousin during the feast, according to Remus, entered as they were getting ready for bed. 

He was healthy with mousy features. His eyes lacked that shine that James and Remus possessed; he looked naïve and innocent with how he behaved. Personally, Sirius didn’t quite like the fourth member of their dorm, but he could see that James didn’t have any reservations regarding him so he decided he could at least try as James had with Remus. He went as far as telling him that James would always have his back, granted that he didn’t hurt Sirius when James thought the other wasn’t paying attention to them.

The blatant protectiveness James displayed had made Sirius feel safe like he an older brother would. At least, that was how the books he had read described it. Sirius was cut off from others his age, except for his family; he didn’t talk to many people, he was sheltered, to protect him from the occasional assassination attempt. His cousins were the closest companions he had to his age; the very cousins who were all in Slytherin and would most definitely let his mother know about tonight’s situation if their glares were anything to go by. 

He was filled with dread as he closed the curtains to a chorus of ‘goodnights’ and was absolutely dreading the next morning which would bring an inevitable Howler and with it, painful humiliation. He was so lost in his thoughts that he missed the concerned glance of James. 

After tossing and turning for near about 30 minutes, Sirius was about to give up on getting any sleep when James poked his head in, startling the Black Heir.

“Can’t sleep?” James asked with a knowing look.

“Not really, this place is too new for me,” Sirius replied after composing himself. “What are you doing up?”

“I am too excited to sleep,” he answered. “Would you like to come with me to the Common Room? I don’t wake either of them wake with our talking.”

“I don’t want to bother you,” Sirius was never shy or timid, but he truly did not want to be a bother to one of the two people who had looked past his name. 

“You are never going to bother me,” James huffed, he took Sirius’ arm, who’d sat up by now and gently tugged him. His grip around Sirius’ forearm firm but his eyes light with kindness and a certain understanding. Sirius allowed himself to be pulled out of bed, before willingly following James outside, when the other had let go of his hand. 

Sirius did not understand why he felt sad at the loss of contact when James let go, all he knew was that he felt comfortable when James touched him, and he would like that again. Sirius thought he should have addressed it, asked James to continue holding his arm because he wanted to process what he felt, but didn’t know how to. Sirius did not wish his friend away with his lack of knowledge about what would constitute as normal behavior in friendship. 

When they reached the Common Room, James sat down in front of the fire and patted the carpet beside him to tell Sirius to do the same. The moment they were both settled, James asked, his voice soft, as if he were whispering a secret meant only for Sirius, “Are you scared?” 

“Of what?” Sirius asked in return, his voice equally as soft, letting the crackle of the burning firewood be heard.

“Of tomorrow morning, your parents’ reaction?” James paused their breathing, and the firewood only audible things at that moment.

“Yes,” he didn’t need to expand. His wavering voice said it all. 

“You don’t have to be. I know a spell that can destroy a Howler, I will take care of it.” His voice rang with quiet certainty.

“I”- Sirius's voice shook with emotion, he didn’t know how to thank him for that; how to thank James for saving him from painful words and public humiliation.  
James took his hand and squeezed it once, a show of silent support. For that moment, Sirius felt safe again, calming him down a little, the lump in his throat less painful. They sat there, in front of the fire, quiet one moment and conversing the other. They stayed there until the sun peeked from the horizon, turning them golden. 

Or perhaps, they always were golden.


	2. 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first day of classes and the start of Marauders' Pranking Legacy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are few things that to mention but my brain is too tired to remember them right now, so I'll just say the biggest point that I can remember.  
> This fic is inspired heavily by A bond of Family by the wonderful writer Daily. If you haven't read it then you most definitely should. Since I read that series right before I started writing mine, there might be a few scenes that look plagiarized, if that happens let me know. I did not and do not condone plagiarism and if it happened here, then it was an accident and I will change it as soon as I find out. I apologize right now for doing so, I promise you that I did not knowingly copy somebody else's hard work.   
> One more thing, English is not my first language and while I am extremely fluent in it, I am prone to making stupid mistakes. Let me know if there are any, I will fix that as soon as possible as well.

“You know what would be helpful?” Remus announced as he sat down beside Sirius in the Great Hall, “Spells that would quiet Peter’s snoring.”

Sirius swallowed a laugh and offered Remus a cup of orange juice. “Was it that bad?”

“You have no idea,” Remus replied. “Weren’t you disturbed?” he continued after nodding thanks to the other.

“Sirius and I spent the night in the Common Room,” James said as he sat down on Sirius’ other hand, putting his back between them as a personal reminder to maintain and respect boundaries.

Remus sent them a questioning glance, motioning at them to explain with one hand as he ate with another.

“Sirius and I couldn’t sleep, we were too excited, and so we stayed up and talked. We might also have prank ideas if you’re up for it,” James smirked slightly in the end and Sirius just felt grateful. He did not want to answer any questions about his family, he answered more than enough last night when Peter realized who he was.

Sirius really did not like him.

As Remus started saying something, presumably about the prank James mentioned, someone screamed ‘OWL POST’ and suddenly there were letters and hoot everywhere.

Sirius himself received a letter, a Howler, but before he could do anything about it - because James had taught him the spell at Sirius’s insistence James already had his wand out and a muttered incantation and a wand movement later, there was no letter, just the blasted bits of one.

Flashing his friend a relieved a smile and ignoring the sharp whispers and pointed glance, the three friends huddled over Remus’ package which had homemade cookies.

***

Peter had joined them towards the end of breakfast, carrying four sheets of parchment in his hand and waving enthusiastically to the three boys. He was late for breakfast and they had their first class straight afterward so he just grabbed a few pieces of toast and joined them. How he was late was beyond the three of them, especially since they had set up multiple alarms and even Remus had woken up by the second one.

Their first lesson was Transfiguration with the Deputy Headmistress McGonagall and they were all excited, especially James and Remus. Sirius found it amusing how different their reasons of excitement were. Remus was looking forward to learning, to obtain knowledge, but James was looking forward to this purely because this subject would help them pull numerous pranks.

Their enthusiasm was contagious it seemed, because by the time they had reached their classroom, Sirius and Peter were laughing just as loudly as the other two.

The sound of Sirius’s laughter made James and Remus feel accomplished. Looking at him, it was quite obvious that Sirius did not come from a very loving house, his aversion to casual affectionate touches being a major clue. Every witch or wizard who had grown up in the community had heard the horror stories about Black Family, which while insignificant to them before, were now a point of consideration as their newest friend was the Heir to said family. Sirius’ behavior and reaction to certain things made them wonder just how many of those stories and rumors were true.

A shared glance between the two made them realize that no; they did not want to know. All they wanted was for their friend to be okay and happy.

All four of them had just settled down into their seats when McGonagall entered. They were sitting towards the back, Sirius with James and Remus and Peter in front of them; banter flowing easily among them as if they had been friends for years than just a couple of days.

With a greeting to the students and a simple introduction of the subject later, the Professor had given them their first task. Convert the matchstick into a needle.

“Remember to correctly pronounce the spell and focus on your wand movement. It is alright if you do not get it in your first try, but keep on trying. Now, begin.”

With that every student started trying.

This class was combined with Hufflepuff and they had already scored their house five points by answering some question about the theory of the spell, which made it seem like a competition between Gryffindor and Hufflepuff to be the first house to successfully accomplish the transfiguration. The competition was won by Gryffindor when James had turned his into a shiny metallic needle, earning him five points. A minute or so after him, Remus became the second student to accomplish it, earning their house five more points.

Sirius was trying his hardest, but on his third try his matchstick caught on fire, prompting a laugh from James and pinched nose from McGonagall, who came over and gave him another matchstick after promptly taking care of the fire. Beside him, James was having fun. As soon as McGonagall had left their desk, he had flipped open his textbook and was looking at other spells. A couple tries after finding a spell he liked, his needle was turned into a rock, which was then transfigured into a pencil, which promptly caught on fire.

The look on James’ face was a perfect mixture of shock and mischief which had caused Sirius to burst into laughter again. Their noise gathering the attention of some other students, among which Evans just muttered something before returning her attention back to the matchstick. A wave of their professor’s wand took care of the fire, again and Sirius calmed down enough to try his spell again.

With nothing else to do, James looked at him trying and made a clicking sound. A rise of Sirius’s eyebrows prompted him to explain.

“Don’t focus too much on the wand movement; just let your instincts guide you. We have powerful magic, I can feel yours and I know you can feel mine, so just let your magic flow. Imagine what you want to do and let it happen,” James reasoned.

Humming a little, he tried to do what James said. Envisioning the needle in his head, he let the magic flow from his core to the wand and then with a muttered spell towards the stick, and a moment later instead of a matchstick, a needle laid in its place.

With a delighted smile, Sirius hugged James before freezing altogether. He was just about to withdraw and apologize, when James hugged him a tighter and let him go. A beaming smile on his face as he leaned back and verbally congratulated Sirius, who was still a little frozen. But with James’ hand on his back rubbing light circles, he was slowly but surely relaxing a little. If last night had told him anything it was that James loved being in constant physical contact with Sirius. He had said when Sirius admitted to how safe he felt when James touched him, that he was tactile by nature and that Sirius should never hesitate before initiating a hug or even a simple touch with him.

However, Sirius still didn’t completely believe him and was scared to actually do so, but James’s reaction to this impromptu hug had reassured and vanished whatever leftover insecurity he had. Returning the smile, Sirius took in a deep breath and said, “Thank you.”

“It was nothing; you probably would have figured it out by the end of the lesson”—

“Not for the help in the spell, though I am grateful but for this,” Sirius made a vague gesture between them, “the support you’re offering me even though we’ve only known each other for two days.”

“Sirius, I told you last night and I will tell you this again, you do not have to thank me for anything. You are my friend; of course, I will support you. It doesn’t matter how long we’ve known each other, we have this bond between us, I can feel it and I know you can too.” They were whispering at this point, their words meant solely for each other and for no one else. “I don’t know why you’re being so hesitant and I can only hope that you’ll trust me enough one day to tell me, but until that day comes, I will wait patiently and I will support you endlessly, alright?” James tone was soft yet firm as if this was desperately something he needed Sirius to understand. That, coupled with the look in eyes made Sirius nod, there was simply nothing else left to do.

“What do we have after?” James asked very obviously changing the subject and with a small smile, the Black Heir let him.

“Charms, I think. With Ravenclaw.”

With a groan, James let his head drop on the desk with a bang, belatedly saying ‘ouch,’ and spent the rest of their lesson like that.

***

After Transfiguration, Charms went by with a breeze. Both James and Sirius encountering zero difficulties while Remus and Peter struggle a little bit with their Levitation Charm. By the time the class was over, Remus had earned them points on the theory of the charm, while James and Sirius dominated the practical aspect of it. Professor Flitwick was particularly impressed by them, especially since James and Sirius had started working on some other charms and their homework essay and by the end of the class, Professor had given them extra work.

Lunch was a rushed affair, at least for three of them. Peter, having missed breakfast, declined their invitation to go to the library. The others grabbed little bit of food and made their way to the library to do some research and find some books more challenging than what they had done so far. On their way, they saw Sir Nicholas and started talking to him. The ghost was here was a long time and knew so much about the history of Hogwarts that all the boys could do was listen with rapt attention.

“Do you like the nickname of Nearly Headless Nick?” James asked, too curious to bother being polite.

With a resigned look, the ghost said, “I do not, but alas, it has been used for so long that I do not believe it will ever go away.”

“Well, we’ll be sure to not address you as much and will ascertain that none of our friends and acquaintances do so either,” Remus declared. Sirius couldn’t help but admire the confidence of his friend. It was clear that he did not come from a rich background but he never once complained about anything. He was also stubborn, Sirius noted with an internal sigh, not to say that James wasn’t but where the other could be swayed, Remus stood steadfast.

“Thank you, lads; it is extremely kind of you to do so. No one in nearly a century has shown me such kindness,” Sir Nicholas said and then leaned forward to continue, “if you ever need any sort of help, just ask. I will do my best to aid you.”

All of them nodded and were about to continue their journey to the library when Remus turned around and asked the ghost, “Actually, do you know if there is a room that we could use to practice spells where we won’t be disturbed?”

“And why would you need such a room? Surely one of your classrooms would help,” Sir Nicholas replied.

“True, an empty classroom can help, but we never know when we might get disturbed and which classrooms are empty at what hour. Furthermore, in a classroom, we can accidentally harm some property. It would be better to have a completely empty room with zero chances of disturbance so our concentration is not broken and we can safely practice magic,” Sirius explained to the ghost. What he didn’t mention was that, it would help in preparation of the prank they had planned. But what he didn’t know wouldn’t hurt him.

Sir Nicholas gave them a considering glance and said in a low voice, “On the fifth floor, near the painting of the knight, there is a blank wall. If you walk back and forth thrice in front of it with whatever you need in your mind, Hogwarts will give you,” he paused and spoke even softer than before, “do not let anyone know that I helped you discover it. The room which will appear to you is called the Room of Requirement. I have given you priceless information boys, do not abuse it.”

With that Sir Nicholas left in a dramatic exit. The three young boys shared a look before James said, “Well that was easy.” Lost in their thoughts, they reached the library and got to work.

They had an essay in Charms due next week about the Levitation Charm and considering that the two Heirs had already started theirs it didn’t take them too long to complete it and then they focused on helping Remus master the spell. Sirius guided him the same way James had helped him during Transfiguration, which wasn’t a success but they had to start somewhere.

It took Sirius changing the way he explained the mechanism of it to Remus, including a lot more emphasis on imagination, for Remus to completely understand and master it. By the end of lunch, the two black haired boys had started working on second-year charms and Remus had started his essay on Levitation Charm. All in all, it was a very productive hour for them.

As soon as they left the library, James and Sirius charmed their bags with a Feather Light Charm and then promptly shrunk them and offered to do the same to Remus’s bag which he happily accepted. Sirius knew that Remus was powerful as well. Just like he was able to feel James’ magic, and could tell its trace and signature, he was also able to feel Remus’. The latter’s magic was powerful, but it was held back a little, as if it was never allowed complete freedom, which might be true. Sirius also knew that the only reason he and James were able to move forward as quickly as they were was because of the additional training they had both received.

Their magic was trained from the beginning and they were physically fit, which made Sirius wonder whether Remus would be just as quick as they were he trained and not of ill health. He might have been, Sirius thought, but there is also no reason now on why he can’t be.

“I am thinking,” Sirius said to his two companions after coming to a decision, “we should hold a couple of study nights every week.”

“I don’t see why not,” James agreed, “it would definitely be helpful. Plus, we can help you with Charms, Remus. Your magic is powerful but held back, but it’s nothing that a little bit of training can’t overcome.” So James had noticed as well, Sirius thought, does that mean that he too can feel Remus’ signature?

“Yes, I noticed that too. If we help you, only if you wish, you can easily be at the top of every class. Perhaps, we can also start working on some more advanced magic,” Sirius threw in.

Remus looked a bit startled and thoughtful, “I must say that I am shocked that you can feel my magic signature, but I don’t think I should considering I can feel yours too. I certainly do not mind study nights, maybe we can ask some older students about the assignments they did in first year to truly get ahead,” he suggested, and it wasn’t a bad idea Sirius consented. He nodded at Remus in accordance and James said he had a cousin in second year that will be willing to help them.

“How come you haven’t mentioned that cousin yet?” Remus asked.

“The thing about being a Pure-blood wizard is that nearly every other Pure-blood family is related. For example, I am Sirius’ cousin once removed because my mother is born Black and is the niece of the current Head of The House,” James explained, ignoring Remus’ shocked look at the revelation. “Dorcas and I are related in a similar manner but I honestly cannot keep track of it.”

“Wait, if the two of you are related, how come you did not know each other before Hogwarts?” Remus inquired. They were near the fields now, close to their Herbology class.

“Our families do not interact much because my family is blood-traitor,” James threw in casually, “at least to the Sacred Twenty-Eight, but I have had the misfortune of meeting Regulus at some events where our attendance was mandatory.”

“I pity you then, James. Regulus is a Slytherin, through and through. Listens to our parents’ words like they are the law and he does not have a single backbone in his body,” Sirius said, mainly to explain to Remus who looked disgusted at the mention of blood purity.

“And Regulus is?” Remus prompted them.

“My brother,” Sirius replied curtly. Regulus and Sirius were not the closest of siblings, and even though their interactions were limited, they were hateful and filled with words of loathing that should not be repeated in pleasant company. The only thing binding the two of them together was their name, had it not been for that, both of the brothers would have disowned the other a long time back.

“I would say that you are quite lucky to have a brother, but honestly, he sounds horrible,” Remus commented before turning his attention towards James. “Didn’t you say that you had an idea for a prank? You have not mentioned it since the morning and I am rather curious.”

“Did I not tell you?” James asked, his voice laced with confusion. When all Remus did was shake his head James launched into an explanation. His hands gesticulating passionately as he told them both about a spell he found that could turn entire surfaces into sponges and how they could use that to turn the Great Hall and staircases into bouncing floors. However, they would require a lot of practice for that, especially if they coupled it with a few sticking charms that would ensure that students who hit the walls would safely stick to them instead of being harmed.

James had a couple more ideas but they had reached their class and with a shared glance and promise to talk about it later with more detail, they went inside and took their place beside their classmates and set to work.

They would make the entire castle laugh, so mote it be.

***

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please read the notes in the beginning.
> 
> Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed it.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!!!


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